Drawbar selector for electric organs and the like



Jan. 20, 1942. R. c. KERN DRAWBAR SELECTOR FOR ELECTRIC QRGANS AND "THE LIKE Filed Oct. 21, 1940 INVE'NTO'? A W a T T d H m Patented Jan. 20, 1942 DRAWBAR. SELECTOR, FOR ELECTRIC ORGAN S AND THE LIKE Raymond C. Kern, Green Lane, Pa.

Application October 21, 1940, Serial No. 362,019

6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for simultaneously setting in predetermined relative positions a plurality of movable mechanical elements and is particularly directed to means for so setting the several harmonic drawbars of an electric organ or the like which by their several positions influence or control the tonal character or quality of the music produced when the organ is played.

For example, the electric organ marketed by Hammond Instrument Company of Chicago, Illinois, and known as the Hammond organ, embodies two sets of nine adjustable drawbars for each of its two manuals. The drawbars of each set, however, are substantial duplicates of the corresponding ones in the other set for that manual, two sets being provided to enable one set to be adjusted while the other is in use. Thus as many as eighteen drawbars, nine for each manual, may be in effective operation :at one time, and as each is susceptible of disposition in any of eight different positions, it is obvious the number of possible combinations of the eighteen drawbars which may be in use is substantially inexhaustible.

It is of course impossible for any organist to memorize every one of these many possible combinations, much less mentally associate with each even the outstanding characteristics of its effects, and the manufacturers, particularly the one mentioned, therefore usually incorporate in the instrument means for selectively bringing into play any one of several prearranged combinations respectively corresponding to those most frequently used in the traditional rendition of recognized organ compositions. The tremendously expanded versatility of modern electric organs, however, enables varying shades of almost every type of sustained tone to be produced by adjustment of the'proper controls, and further extension of the tonal resources of the organ within various fields of musical endeavor is therefore limited only by the ability of the artist to realize the full potentialities of the instrument and bring them effectively into play. But, as indicated, it is not practical to determine all the combinations used, or to be used, by the aid of memory and musical feeling alone, nor is it always mechanically possible for even the most adept artists to make all the changes in the controls necessary to produce every combination which might be considered desirable during the rendition of a musical selection for a desired departure from any of the pre-set combinations established'by the manufacturer may require re adjustment or repositioning of each of the eighteen drawbars which may be in use at the moment the change is desired.

Consequently while more or less elaborate treatises and dictionaries have been published for assisting organists, particularly non-professional ones of limited training and skill, in the use of the drawbars as aids to artistic rendition of musical selections, these have not entirely solved the problems presented by the capacity for producing an almost limitless range of tonal efiects inherent in these modern instruments.

In accordance with my invention, however, means are provided which enable the several drawbars in an entire series to be positioned substantially simultaneously to correspond to any desired combination and to be rapidly repositioned in another preselected combination without requiring the performer to memorize the positions of the several drawbars for each combination or setting or to separately position, or reposition, any of them.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide means for simultaneously posi tioning each of a plurality of mechanical elements in a predetermined setting corresponding to one of a number of available settings for each of the elements, whereby the necessity for separate and independent operation of each element to position it at the desired setting is eliminated.

A further object is to provide for operative combination and association with an electric organ or other instrument embodying a series of drawbars, keys or similar elements respectively adapted for disposition in diiferent positions or settings, means operable to position substantially simultaneously all the drawbars or keys in the series in predetermined relation whereby virtually any desired combination or setting of the bars may be quickly attained by selection and operation of the appropriate positioning means, thereby, among other things, enabling a relatively unskilled organist to accurately and almost instantaneously reproduce any of the many settings or combinations utilized by the great artists.

A further object in one of the embodiments of the invention is to provide means of the character aforesaid which may be arranged by the user to duplicate any predetermined setting of a series of drawbars requisite for producing a certain tonal effect which he may have achieved by manual experimental setting of the bars or which corresponds to a known setting previously devised by some one else.

A still further object is the provision of a novel method of simultaneously setting each series of drawbars in an electric organ or the like to a predetermined relative arrangement so as to produce a certain tonal effect when the organ is played.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood from the following description of certain of its embodiments in which reference will be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating them as well as their mode of use in manipulating, by way of example, an organ of the aforesaid Hammond type.

In the said drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary top plan view of one set of drawbars of the organ, with one possible combination or setting thereof, arbitrarily selected at random, indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar view showing the manner in which such combination or setting is attained with the aid of setting or selecting means embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 taken on the line 3--3 in said figure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a modified embodiment of the invention adapted for producing a similar setting of the drawbars, and

Fig. 6, on a smaller scale, is a similar view of still a third embodiment thereof likewise adapted for setting the drawbars in the same combination.

In the several figures like characters are used to designate the same parts.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood the drawbars of an organ of the Hammond type are shown therein solely to facilitate adequate disclosure of the now preferred mode of practising the invention and not as limiting its practice thereto; it is therefore unnecessary to specifically describe the organ or to illustrate its mechanism, other than the several drawbars, consecutively numbered |-& in the drawing, which are movable longitudinally with respect to the front rail of the organ through which they extend for connection with the organ controls. As has been stated, in the Hammond organ each of the drawbars l-B has eight effective positions, including full in, when the controls are inoperative, and full out, when their maximum effect is attained.

Thus in Fig. 1 all the drawbars 1-9 are shown in solid lines in the full in or ineffective position, while dotted lines indicate at |-9' the positions thereof corresponding to an arbitrarily selected combination in which the several drawbars respectively occupy positions such that the desired effect of each is attained. It has heretofore been necessary, prior to playing an organ of this type with the combination indicated which, it is assumed, is not one of the few combinations obtainable by the use of the pre-set keys with which such organs are equipped, to individually set each drawbar to its position, an operation or rather series of operations necessitating not only memory of the required position of each or reference to a chart, dictionary or memorandum, but also considerable time, care and attention in the individual actuation of the drawbars.

In accordance with my invention, however, I provide a selector, such as the one generally designated S in Figs. 2-4, which may be brought into engagement with all the drawbars l-9 and manipulated to bring them first to full out position and then by a. single movement to the several respective positions required to produce the com bination corresponding to the selector chosen from among a relatively considerable number of them preferably kept available at all times. Selector S may be of the character I term a master selector which, as shown in Figs. 1-4, comprises a fiat rectangular piece of relatively rigid sheet material, such as heavy cardboard, thin plastic or the like, having slots H-IS defined at one end by an inner rail whose width at the slots corresponds to the distance between the drawbar hand pulls P and the organ rail l0 when the drawbars are at full in position. Intermediate ribs 2| and side rails 22, spaced apart distances corresponding to the lateral width of the drawbar hand pulls, interconnect the inner rail 20 with a rear rail 23 which fixes the maximum effective length of the slots at substantial equality to the sum of the thickness of a hand pull and the distance the drawbars move between full in and full out position.

Disposed within such slots in the selector as correspond to drawbars which are not intended to be left at full out position in forming the desired drawbar combination, are abutments 25 which are preferably substantially rectangular in shape or contour and vary in length so as to correspond inversely to the distances from full in position at which the several drawbars are to remain. These abutments may be formed from strips of material similar to that composing the body of the selector and desirably may be initially of about the same length as the slots, thus enabling them to be cut by the artist to suitable length before they are fitted into the slots and secured in place. Each abutment preferably comprises a leaf or tab 26, in width just a little less than each of slots ll-IB, and after it is cut to the'desired length it may be secured in place in the proper slot by a strip of adhesive tape 21 overlying the leaf and adjacent portions of the selector body along the edges of the slot in which the leaf is disposed; it will be apparent that additional strips of adhesive tape (not shown) may be applied in like manner to the opposite face of the selector for reinforcement if desired.

To make a master selector of the character just described the organist may first obtain the desired combination of drawbars by suitably manipulating them in the usual way, then, having available a selector body, with its full length slots I l-l9 unoccupied by abutments 25, he may cut from full length strips of the character mentioned, or other available material suited to the purpose, pieces of the proper length for filling the portions of the several slots between the outer ends of the drawbars and rear rail 23 of selector S when the latter is in position on the drawbars with its front rail engaging front rail H) of the organ. These pieces are then fitted individually in the several slots and secured in the selector by adhesive tapes 2! or in any other suitable way, preferably as rigidly as possible with their back edges engaging the inner edge of the rear rail of the selector. The selector is now ready for use whenever desired to reproduce the combination or setting of drawbars to which it was made to correspond, and in describing the manner in which it may be so used it will be assumed all the drawbars in the series are initially at full in position as indicated in Fig. 1;

some or all of them may be at other positions without causing material modification in the procedure, however, as will be apparent as the description proceeds.

The first step in using the selector is to place it over the drawbar hand pulls in such way as to bring the edge of its front rail 20 against the organ rail with the several slots Il-I9 respectively aligned with drawbars I-9 so that when the selector is then pulled outwardly from the organ rail in toward the organ manuals as far as possible, its front rail engages back of the hand pulls and draws all the drawbars to full out position. Thereupon the movement of the selector is reversed and as its front rail 20 is brought toward the organ rail the abutments in the several slots progressively engage the drawbar hand pulls and move them inwardly for distances respectively corresponding to the lengths of the several. abutments. This operation moves the drawbars simultaneously to the positions required for the combination being sought and the selector can then be removed and laid aside until required for effecting a similar setting at some future time.

It will be evident that by using selector S as a guide or model, a plurality of selectors of like profile or plan can readily be produced mechanically from heavy cardboard, thin metal, plastic sheets or other suitable material. However, as the specific mechanism for making such selectors forms no part of the invention and so can be of any desired character, it is unnecessary to refer to it in detail, and I have illustrated in Fig. 5 a selector S so produced and adapted to function mechanically in exactly the same way as master selector S heretofore described. Selector S is of substantially the same shape and size as the latter and includes a plurality of slots ll'l9 respectively corresponding in length to the effective lengths of slots l l-l9 in the master selector and is used in precisely the same way to produce the combination or setting of the drawbars corresponding to their several positions l-9.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a selector S which is also similar in its operation and effect to master selector S but constructed slightly differently in that the several slots are widened toward adjacent longer slots so as to merge thereinto and form a plurality of interconnected drawbar engaging edges Il"-I9".

As will now be apparent the selector of my invention may partake of a plurality of different forms all adapted to satisfactorily perform its intended functions and varying in size and details of construction in accordance with the nature and arrangement of the mechanical elements intended to be operated. Thus while I have illustrated and particularly described my selector with special reference to the drawbars of a Hammond organ, it may be used as well for actuating generally similar drawbars or the like in other organs or other mechanical elements in mechanisms of wholly different types, and changes and modifications in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts and elements will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. The combination with an organ or the like comprising a plurality of mechanical elements adapted for movement along parallel paths, of means for positioning said elements at preselected points along their several paths comprising a rail engageable with all the elements adjacent one end of their paths, and abutments interconnected with the rail respectively adapted for engagement with the several elements and spaced from the rail distances not materially greater than the length of any of said paths, whereby the elements may be moved to one end of their paths by movement of said means in one direction while the rail is in engagement with the elements and to predetermined positions along said paths by selective engagement of the abutments with the elements when said means are moved in the opposite direction.

2. The combination with an organ or the like comprising a plurality of mechanical elements adapted for movement along parallel paths, of a selector for positioning the elements in variant predetermined relation comprising a body having a plurality of parallel slots spaced from adjacent slots distances respectively corresponding to the spacing of the elements and adapted to receive portions of the latter, said slots being of lengths corresponding to the points at which the several elements are to be positioned and one end of each slot being in transverse alignment with the corresponding ends of all the others, whereby I when the selector in engagement with the elements is moved in one direction it will carry all the elements to one extremity of their travel and when then moved in the opposite direction will severally position them at said points.

3. A selector for a series of organ drawbars or the like comprising a relatively rigid body of sheet material including a rail defining an outer rectilinear edge of the selector and adapted for engagement with the drawbars of the organ at points spaced from said edge and a plurality of longitudinally offset drawbar-engaging edges remote from the rail whereby when the selector is moved in one direction with the rail in engagement with the drawbars it positions all the drawbars simultaneously at one limit of their travel and when then moved in the opposite direction it selectively and simultaneously positions certain of the drawbars intermediate their limits of travel.

4. A selector for a series of organ drawbars or the like comprising a relatively rigid body of sheet material having at least one straight outer edge a plurality of longitudinally aligned edges spaced therefrom and a plurality of longitudinally offset edges remote from said aligned edges whereby when the selector is moved in one direction with the aligned edges in engagement with the drawbars it positions all the drawbars simultaneously at one limit of their travel and when then moved in the opposite direction the offset edges progressively engage certain of the drawbars to selectively and simultaneously position them intermediate their limits of travel.

5. A selector for a series of organ drawbars or the like comprising a relatively rigid body of sheet material having at least one straight edge and a plurality of parallel slots respectively equally spaced from and extending normal to said edge a distance greater than the maximum travel of the drawbars. removable abutments disposed in at least some of the slots to limit their effective length, and means adhesively secured to and overlying each abutment and adjacent portions of the body retaining the abutment in its slot.

6. A selector for a series of organ drawbars or the like comprising a body of relatively thin material having at least one straight marginal edge and a plurality of parallel slots extending for varying distances from a line proximate and parallel to said edge and so spaced as to register with the bars in the series, each slot being adapted to receive a portion of One bar, whereby when said portions are entered in the slots all the bars may be simultaneously drawn to the limit of their outward travel by moving the selector in one direction and then by moving the selector in the other direction returned to preselected points as determined by the lengths of the respective slots.

RAYMOND C. KERN. 

